President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union speech
yesterday, outlining an ambitious progressive agenda that will be largely ignored and rebuked by Congress. But Obama promised at least
seven major policies that he can pursue without legislators, including a
$10.10-per-hour minimum wage for federal contractors and some action on
global warming. Obama’s full speech is viewable here, and the
Republican response is available here. The Associated Press fact checked
the speech here.Ky. Gov. Steve Beshear says tolls are necessary to fund
the $2.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge project. Officials and executives
claim the bridge replacement is necessary to improve safety, traffic and
economic development through a key connector between Kentucky and Ohio,
but many Kentucky officials refuse to accept tolls to fund the new
bridge. But without federal funding to pay for the entire project,
leading Ohio and Kentucky officials say they have no other option.There is a 32-point achievement gap in reading between
Ohio’s lower-income and higher-income fourth-graders, with higher-income
students coming out on top. The massive gap speaks to some of the
challenges brought on by income inequality as Ohio officials implement
the Third-Grade Reading Guarantee, which requires most Ohio
third-graders to test as “proficient” before they advance to the fourth
grade. Previous studies also found Ohio’s urban schools might be
unfairly evaluated and under-funded because the state doesn’t properly
account for poverty levels.Attempting to move the Hamilton County Board of Elections
offices from downtown to Mount Airy, where only one bus line runs, could provoke a lawsuit from the NAACP, Board Chairman Tim Burke, a Democrat
who opposes the move, warned in an email to county commissioners. With
the Board of Elections split along party lines on the issue, the final
decision to move or not to move could come down to county commissioners
or Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted. CityBeat covered the issue in further detail here.Greater Cincinnati added 6,600 jobs between December and December 2012.Temperatures could hit the 30s and 40s this weekend, offering a reprieve to the extreme cold.Ohio’s auditor of state found a “top-down culture of data
manipulation and employee intimidation” at Columbus City School
District.Cincinnati-based Kroger plans to add 227 stores with its acquisition of Harris Teeter.The University of Cincinnati expects to demolish its
Campus Services Building at Reading Road and Lincoln Avenue — formerly a
Sears department store — this summer.A Republican congressman from New York City physically threatened a reporter after an interview.Birmingham, Ala., really can’t handle snow.A lawsuit alleges NASA is failing to investigate alien life.Follow CityBeat on Twitter:• Main: @CityBeatCincy • News: @CityBeat_News • Music: @CityBeatMusic • German Lopez: @germanrlopez

Lower-income fourth-graders much more likely to fail standards

Ohio’s lower-income fourth-graders were much more likely
than higher-income fourth-graders to fall below reading proficiency
standards in 2013, according to a report released Tuesday by the Annie
E. Casey Foundation.Four in five lower-income fourth-graders were declared below
reading proficiency standards in 2013, the report found. Only 48
percent of higher-income fourth-graders fell below proficiency.Ohio mostly matched the national trend: About 80 percent
of lower-income fourth-graders and 49 percent of higher-income
fourth-graders across the country read below proficient levels last
year.The report also found Ohio’s overall reading proficiency
improved by 5 percent between 2003 and 2013, a notch below the nation’s 6
percent improvement.The report comes as state officials implement
the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, which requires most Ohio
third-graders to test as “proficient” before they advance to the fourth
grade. Preliminary results showed one-third of Ohio students failing to
pass the test, putting them at risk of retention.“Ohio needs to do whatever it takes to get all children —
especially low income and children of color — on track with this
milestone,” said Renuka Mayadev, executive director of the Children’s
Defense Fund of Ohio, in a statement. “The long-term prosperity of Ohio
and our nation depends upon improving crucial educational outcomes such
as reading proficiency.”
The report also speaks to some of the challenges Ohio and
other states face in evaluating schools, teachers and students as the
nation struggles with high levels of income inequality.
A Jan. 22 report from Policy Matters Ohio found
high-scoring urban schools tend to have lower poverty rates than
low-performing urban schools. In Cincinnati, nine of the 19 top-rated
urban schools served a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged
students than the district as a whole.Another study from three school advocacy groups found
Ohio’s school funding formula fails to fully account for how many
resources school districts, including Cincinnati Public Schools, need to
use to serve impoverished populations instead of basic education
services. In effect, the discrepancy means Ohio’s impoverished school
districts get even less funding per student for basic education than previously assumed.

The Hamilton County Board of Elections on Monday split
along party lines over whether the board should move its offices and
early voting from downtown, Cincinnati’s urban core, to Mount Airy, where only
one bus line runs.
The two Democrats on the board dispute the move. They claim the move would make voting less accessible to voters who rely on
public transportation to make it to the ballot box.
Republicans on the board argue the move would make voting
more accessible to suburban voters and provide free parking that’s
scarcely available at the current downtown offices. They call the move
“good government” because it would consolidate some county services at
Mount Airy, where county officials plan to build a crime lab as long as
the Board of Elections moves with the coroner’s office and provides the
critical mass necessary to financially justify renovations at a former
hospital.
Republicans cautioned their proposed motion would keep
early voting downtown through the 2016 presidential elections. After that, the
board’s offices would move, along with early voting.
Ohio’s secretary of state — Republican Jon Husted — normally
breaks tie votes on county boards of elections. The secretary of state’s office claims Husted will remain undecided on the issue until he reviews documents from the Board of Elections explaining both sides of the tie vote. But spokesperson Matt McClellan says Husted would like to see the Board of Elections reach a compromise before he is forced to intervene.The board’s vote followed a contentious back-and-forth
between public speakers and board members regarding the looming
decision. Most speakers spoke against the move and labeled it “voter
suppression.” Some dissenters supported the move for its fiscal
prudence.
Alex Triantafilou, a Republican on the Board of Elections,
accused Democrats of “playing politics” with the move. He claims
Democrats just want to keep early voting in a Democratic stronghold like
downtown.Democrats Tim Burke and Caleb Faux countered that, along the same lines, the Mount Airy facility would benefit Republicans by making early voting more accessible to Republican-leaning suburban voters and less accessible to Democrat-leaning urban voters.
State Rep. Alicia Reece, a local Democrat who spoke at the meeting, rebuked accusations of partisan politics and reiterated an argument she made to reporters on Thursday.
“The reality is the Board of Elections at its current
location has declared both Democrat and Republican winners of
elections,” Reece previously said. “I think the focus is to just make
sure that we have a facility that everyone can have access to, whether
you’re driving or whether you’re on the bus.”
Mayor John Cranley, a Democrat, on Thursday offered free
space at the Shillito’s building in an attempt to keep early voting
downtown.
But Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartmann, a Republican, told CityBeat
the offer is not enough to satisfy the county’s occupancy needs at Mount Airy, even if the city
moves some police services, such as SWAT operations, to the Mount Airy
facility to help fill out the 500,000 square foot building.
“Without the Board of Elections coming with the crime lab,
that’s not enough occupancy,” Hartmann said. “There would be some good
potential co-location opportunities with the city (at the Mount Airy
facility), but not enough to take up 400,000 square feet.”
County officials expect the crime lab to take up 100,000
square feet at the Mount Airy facility, and the Board of Elections would
occupy another 100,000 square feet. So the county needs to fill 300,000
square feet to fully utilize the Mount Airy facility, even if the Board
of Elections moves.This story was updated with comments from the secretary of state’s office.

Early voting location debated, schools could get more snow days, execution investigated

Local early voting could move from downtown to Mount Airy, where only one bus line runs, following a split, party-line vote from the Hamilton County Board of Elections. Democrats oppose the move because they say it will make early voting less accessible to people who rely on public transportation to make it to the ballot box. Republicans support the move as part of a plan to consolidate some county services, particularly a new crime lab, at the Mount Airy facility. With the board split, Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, could step in to break the tie vote.But Husted's spokesperson said the secretary of state might encourage the Board of Elections to "take another look" at the issue, and Hamilton County Commissioner Chris Monzel says the county will not move the Board of Elections without a majority vote.Gov. John Kasich called for a one-time increase in the number of school calamity days to cope with the unusually severe winter weather this year. Under state law, schools are normally allowed five calamity days before extra days off start chipping into summer break. The state legislature must approve legislation to enact the temporary increase.Ohio officials found no substantial evidence
that a public defender coached convicted killer Dennis McGuire to fake
suffocation during his execution. Eye-witness accounts report McGuire
visibly struggled, snorted and groaned as he took 26 minutes to die — the longest execution since Ohio restarted using the death penalty in 1999.Despite what a local state senator says, there are a lot of differences between Ohio's Clean Energy Law and Stalinism.Meanwhile, the Ohio Senate continues working on a proposal that would weaken Ohio's renewable energy and efficiency standards. But it's unclear if the new attempt will be any more successful than State Sen. Bill Seitz's failed, years-long crusade against the Clean Energy Law.Local Democrats endorsed Christie Bryant for an open seat in the Ohio House, even though five interviewed for the position and could run in the Democratic primary. Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke previously told CityBeat local Democrats endorse prior to a primary in some special situations. In this case, the party wanted to guarantee a black candidate, and Bryant is the most qualified, according to Burke. A new report found Ohio's prison population ticked down by nearly 2 percent since 2011, but the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) says it is now trending back up. To address the recent rise, ODRC Director Gary Mohr says legislators need to provide more opportunities for community-based drug treatment, mental health care and probation programs to help reduce prison re-entry rates.More than 112,000 Ohio students dropped out of high schools between 2006 and 2010.The Greater Cincinnati Port Authority will shape plans this year to remake some of Queensgate and Camp Washington into manufacturing, engineering and laboratory hubs with high-paying jobs.Hamilton County might sell some of its six downtown buildings.Former Mayor Mark Mallory took a job with the Pennsylvania-based Chester Group, which provides "energy, water and wastewater solutions to public and industrial clients across the United States and internationally," according to a press release.Councilman Chris Seelbach's vegan chili won the Park+Vine cook-off.Confirmed by science: Walking while texting or reading a text increases chances of injury.Follow CityBeat on Twitter:• Main: @CityBeatCincy • News: @CityBeat_News • Music: @CityBeatMusic • German Lopez: @germanrlopez

Local state senator continues comparing energy law to Stalinism

State Sen. Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican, continues
comparing Ohio’s renewable energy and efficiency law to Stalinism and
other extreme Soviet-era policies.
Seitz’s latest comparison, according to Columbus’ Business First, claims Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell didn’t need “Stalinist” mandates to pursue their inventions.“It was not some Stalinist government mandating, ‘You must buy my stuff,’” Seitz said.
It’s not the first time Seitz made the comparison. In
March, he said Ohio’s Clean Energy Law reminds him of “Joseph Stalin’s
five-year plan.”Seitz, a director of the conservative, oil-backed American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), remains unsuccessful in his
years-long push to repeal Ohio’s renewable energy and efficiency
standards. He says the law picks winners and losers in the energy market
by favoring Ohio-based efficient, renewable sources.Environmentalists and other supporters of the law claim it
helps combat global warming and encourages economy-boosting innovations
in the energy market, including the adoption of more solar power in
Cincinnati.Seitz’s references to Stalin continue the long-popular Republican
tactic of comparing economic policies conservatives oppose with
socialism, communism and other scary-sounding ideas.While Seitz’s argument makes for catchy rhetoric, there are a few key differences between Stalinism and Ohio’s Clean Energy Law:Stalinism is a framework of authoritarian, communist policies
pursued in the 20th century by Soviet Union dictator Joseph Stalin. It
involves a state takeover of various aspects of private life and the
economy.The Clean Energy Law is a policy established in 2008 by
the democratic state of Ohio. The law sets benchmarks requiring utility
companies to get 12.5 percent of their electricity from renewable
sources, such as wind, hydro, biomass and solar, and save 22 percent of
electricity through new efficiency efforts by 2025.Stalinism pushes out private markets and replaces them with an authoritarian government’s total command.The Clean Energy Law sets standards and regulations for existing private businesses.Stalinism saves Ohioans no money.The Clean Energy Law will save Ohioans $3.65 billion on
their electricity bills over the next 12 years, according to a 2013
report from the Ohio State University and the Ohio Advanced Energy
Economy.To enforce his policies, Stalin killed millions of people —
a number so high that historians have trouble calculating exactly how
many died under the Soviet leader’s reign.To enforce the Clean Energy Law, Ohio officials have killed zero people.Stalinism and other communist policies are widely
considered unsustainable by economists and historians and a primary
reason for the Soviet Union’s downfall.The Clean Energy Law follows regulatory and incentive
models established in various states and countries with
flourishing economies, including Colorado and Sweden.The differences are pretty clear. Ohio’s Clean Energy Law
might require some refining, and there might be better solutions to
global warming, such as the carbon tax. But comparisons to Stalinism go
too far.

The Hamilton County Board of Elections plans to decide
today whether it will move its offices and early voting from downtown to
Mount Airy. The two Democrats on the board argue moving the offices
would push early voting away from public transportation options and
the city’s core, while the two Republicans claim it’s “good government”
because the Mount Airy site consolidates county services with the
coroner’s office and includes free parking. In the event of a tie
between Democrats and Republicans, Secretary of State Jon Husted, a
Republican, will break the tie. Mayor John Cranley, a Democrat, proposed
an alternative site downtown on Thursday, but at least one Republican
county official said it wasn’t enough to meet the county’s needs.One of the Republicans on the board resigned as the city’s lobbyist to avoid a conflict of interest prior to
today’s vote.The Republican-controlled Ohio House last week approved a
bill that would allow school boards to designate school employees to
carry concealed firearms and prohibit school boards from releasing the
names of those employees. Republicans argue the proposal will help make
schools safer against would-be shooters. But several studies indicate
more guns lead to more gun-related violence. A 2009 ABC News special also
found even trained gun-wielders fail to properly react in the event of a
shooting.Fracking waste could soon move through barges on the Ohio
River, depending on an incoming decision from the U.S. Coast Guard.
During the fracking process, drillers pump millions of gallons of water,
sand and chemicals underground to unlock oil and gas reserves. But some
of that water returns to the surface, and that wastewater needs to be
dumped somewhere. Oil and gas companies support the allowance of river
barges as a potentially cheaper transportation option for the
wastewater. But environmentalists, emergency response experts and other critics argue a spill on the Ohio River could cause widespread damage
as toxic wastewater flows down a river many communities tap into for
drinking water.Citing research from Pennsylvania fracking sites, some
advocates argue Ohio officials should take another look at whether
radiation from Ohio’s fracking operations is affecting surrounding
landfills and aquifers.Work at The Banks continues despite a debate over buildings’ heights.Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center significantly improved outcomes for teens with asthma, according to a Pediatrics study.Warning: Some Ohioans have been targeted by utility bill scams.Ohio gas prices remained relatively steady at the start of the week.Popular physicist Stephen Hawking argues there are no black holes, but other physicists appear skeptical of Hawking’s claims.Follow CityBeat on Twitter:• Main: @CityBeatCincy • News: @CityBeat_News • Music: @CityBeatMusic • German Lopez: @germanrlopez

Research indicates the Republican-backed proposal might fail to improve school safety

The Republican-controlled Ohio House on Wednesday approved
a bill that would allow school boards to designate some school
employees to carry concealed firearms and prohibit school boards
from releasing the names of those employees.As part of the designation, school employees would have
to participate in “active shooter training” established by the state
attorney general. School boards and employees could also consult with
local law enforcement to establish stronger standards and training.If a gun-toting teacher injures or kills someone, the
rules exempt the school board and employees from liability “unless the
injury, death or loss resulted from the employee’s reckless or wanton
conduct.”The bill would also allow off-duty officers to carry firearms in schools.There are some restrictions: A school board could not force an
employee to carry a gun, and gun-carrying rights could not be part of a collective bargaining agreement.While a Republican majority supports the rules to increase safety in schools, some research indicates the plan could backfire.A review from the Harvard Injury Control Research Center
found states and countries with more guns tend to have more homicides.
Specifically, men and women in places with more firearms are exposed to a
larger risk of gun-related homicide.University of Pennsylvania researchers found similar results in a 2009 study.“On average, guns did not protect those who possessed them
from being shot in an assault,” the study concluded. “Although
successful defensive gun uses occur each year, the probability of
success may be low for civilian gun users in urban areas. Such users
should reconsider their possession of guns or, at least, understand that
regular possession necessitates careful safety countermeasures.”A 2009 ABC News special found even trained gun-wielders
fail to properly react in the event of a shooting. In multiple
simulations that placed trained and armed students in a classroom, none
of the participants succeeded in stopping an unexpected shooter from
landing fake rounds that would have been deadly in a real shooting.Local state representatives split along party
lines on the bill. Democrats Denise Driehaus, Connie Pillich and Alicia Reece voted
against it, while Republicans Peter Stautberg and Louis Blessing voted
for it.The bill now needs to move through the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate and Republican Gov. John Kasich to become law.